Things didn't work out so well for him in Vancouver.
He was disqualified.
Some of the reports of the event are misleading.
New York Times:
Over the past two weeks, Apolo Ohno danced with danger, evading crashes, employing strategy and adding two Winter Olympics medals to the most expansive collection in United States history. Sometimes he seemed forever fortunate.
That ended Friday night at Pacific Coliseum with Ohno’s disqualification in short-track speedskating’s 500-meter race. On the final turn, Ohno bumped the Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay, sending him skidding into the padding. For this, Ohno earned a DQ instead of his eighth Olympic medal.
Ohno didn't bump the Canadian.
Los Angeles Times:
Ohno appeared to push Francois-Louis Tremblay of Canada on the final turn, causing Tremblay and South Korean skater Sung Si-Bak to fall.
No, he didn't appear to push the Canadian.
Did these reporters watch the race?
Here's video of the race and video of a post-race interview Ohno did with Chris Collinsworth.
Transcript
CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: Apolo, tell us what happened out there.
APOLO OHNO: Well, I, uh, I think that was definitely three of the fastest guys off the line I've ever skated against. Um, you know, the 500, you've got to be up towards the front to be able to make any moves. You know, the race was fast enough to where there wasn't any space to move up. So I was just kind of waiting, waiting, waiting, and there was just no space. So going into the last corner, um, you know, I ran up on the Canadian guy. And uh, you know, he slipped and then the Korean slipped. So, I don't know why they called me for the disqualification. Um, I was in fourth the whole race. So, but either way, you know, I'm uh, I'm happy the way I skated. Um, I came here with, you know, no regrets in my mind and I'm leaving with no regrets. But we still have the relay. And uh, you know, I really want to go out there and make sure our guys can get a medal.
COLLINSWORTH: You had your hand on him, but it didn't look like much of a push. Do you disagree with the call?
OHNO: I do. Um, you know, my hand is up to basically just protect myself from basically running into the back of him. Um, so it's more, it's like a cushion. Uh, you know, there's no, I'm not trying to push anybody down or anything like that. But uh, you know, that's the head Canadian ref out there, and we're on Canadian soil. But, you know, the boys skated very, very well, and, um, it was a good race.
COLINSWORTH: Do you feel like that's a factor, the Canadian ref?
OHNO: I think so. Absolutely. But, you know, in short track it's, everything is so subjective. So, um, I just have to be faster.
Was the Canadian ref biased?
I don't know about the Canadian ref and Canadian soil being factors, but I question Ohno's disqualification. I think the Canadian fell. He wasn't pushed.
It seems that the Canadian was lucky and this time Ohno had his hand in the wrong place at the wrong time.
if you watch the replay carefully you can see that the same place where the korean started to fall is the exact same place where the canadian lost his balance and fell. Ohno did not cause this crash.
ReplyDeleteDidn't the Canadian who won, put his hand on the hip of the Korean right as the Korean fell? the same "bump" as Ohno just not called.
ReplyDeleteRight.
ReplyDeleteThere was contact by others that wasn't called. In my opinion, it's wrong to blame Ohno's touch for all the slips and falls.
In short track it is the responsibility of the overtaker to avoid contact (interference) with the guy in front. And it is the responsibility of the guy in front to not cross the path of someone behind him.
ReplyDeleteYou have to look at it in slow-motion or frame-by-frame because the whole incident lasts about 1.5 seconds.
Ohno puts his hand on Tremblay at the entrance to the bend and Tremblay's outer arm immediately raises to steady himself - his arm goes way higher than the other 3 skaters. We will never know how much pressure Ohno applied which is why it is all so subjective.
Further around the bend Hamelin does make (very brief) contact with the Korean but not until it is already apparent that he is falling. The Koreans did not protest, which should speak volumes...
I think the biggest issue is that Ohno accused the ref on a global stage of cheating on behalf of his countryman. I can forgive a simple touch on the hip in the heat of the race. His comments however, are revealing of true unsportsman like character.
ReplyDelete